5 New Year's Resolutions for Your Website in 2017

2016 is on its way out, and if you are anything like us, you’re probably excited to make some plans for the year ahead. While most may equate resolutions with personal improvement, don’t forget that your website deserves some self-improvement too! 

So where should you start? Add these website goals to your New Year’s Resolution list and make 2017 one for the books!

Go Responsive

With Google’s pending mobile-first algorithm update, you can’t afford to disregard responsive web design as an option. As we said last week, there is a prevalent misunderstanding among website managers that a mobile website is safeguarded from Google’s upcoming mobile-first index. We explained why that’s not actually the case in last week’s blog entry. 

But for the sake of today’s entry, here’s why we encourage the use of responsive website design in 2017: A responsive website will seamlessly serve mobile and desktop visitors from one website. It works by detecting and adjusting its content to display optimally on ALL screen sizes. Taking this approach will not only prepare you for Google’s mobile-first update, but it will also reduce maintenance costs for you, as you will only ever need to update one website. 

Prepare For WCAG Compliance

WCAG was a big headline in 2016. The number of lawsuits directed at businesses whose websites were not accommodating the needs of the vision and hearing impaired has grown significantly. We can back that statement, as we’ve seen an uptick in the number of requests for WCAG Compliance when it comes to web design and development. Don’t get hit with a lawsuit in 2017. Global Reach can provide guidance for compliance. 

Review Your Content

Most content has an expiration date. Even content that is more *evergreen* in nature should be revisited to ensure quality and relevance are not deteriorating over time. The New Year is the perfect time to do this. Try out new keywords or update links to point to improved or more up-to-date resources. You may even want to try changing up your formatting or styling to make content more appealing to users.

Clean Up Your File & Media Library

Over the course of a year, a lot can happen to your website file & media library. The once carefully crafted and organized folder structure you built out a year ago may now bare a closer resemblance to an un-shuffled deck of cards. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend some time organizing, removing or renaming files so you can start the year out on the right foot. Not only will you save yourself some website space, but you’ll also save some time, as we all know, searching through a cluttered mess can really kill productivity. 

Get Serious About SEO

93% of all online experiences start with a search, so if you’re not investing in improving your search presence, you’re probably falling behind your competition. More so, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is much like working out and eating right. It takes time to see a difference. That’s why the New Year is such a good time to get serious about it, giving yourself the full year to build up your presence so that when the 2017 holiday season is upon us, you’ll be well-equipped to compete for business in search results. Lucky for you, we have SEO experts on-staff who are ready to help!

Do you have other website or online resolutions for 2017? Tell us about them in the comments below!